WEBVTT AND LIKELY PURSUE THE JOB OF FIRE CHIEF OF EPPLEY AIRFIELD. HOW LONG HAVE YOU KNOWN ABOUT THIS? STEVE: YOU KNOW, WIT ASSUREDNESS, SINCE TODAY. I'LL TELL YOU, I STARTED KIND OF CATCHING WIND, DAVE, MONTHS AGO. DAVE: OMAHA FIRE UNION PRESIDENT STEVE LECLAIR WASN'T SHOCKED BY CHIEF BERNIE KANGER'S RETIREMENT PLANS. SOMETHING HE'S SUSPECTED FOR SEVEN MONTHS. STEVE: CLEARLY, IF I'M ASKING THOSE KINDS OF QUESTIONS IN DECEMBER, AND I'M HEARING THOSE KINDS OF THINGS IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR, CLEARL THIS DIDN'T JUST EVOLVE TODAY. DAVE: THAT'S NOT WHAT MAYOR JEAN STOTHERT IS SAYING. WHY WAIT THIS LONG BEFORE ACCEPTING THAT LETTER OF RETIREMENT AND STARTING A NATIONAL SEARCH? MAYOR STOTHERT: I DID NOT KNOW CHIE KANGER WAS GOING TO RETIRE, UNTIL I RECEIVED HIS LETTER TODAY. I KNEW WHEN HIS RETIREMENT DATE WAS COMING UP, AT THE END OF APRIL. BUT THE DECISION FOR ANY EMPLOYEE, INCLUDING THE FIRE CHIEF, TO RETIRE IS THEIR PERSONAL DECISION. DAVE: MAYOR STOTHERT SAYS SHE WILL LAUNCH A NATIONAL SEARCH, THAT INCLUDES CURRENT FIREFIGHTERS SHE ALSO WAS ADAMANT ABOUT NOT LOWERING CURRENT CITY REQUIREMENTS NEEDED TO BE FIRE CHIEF. MAYOR STOTHERT: I AM NOT GOING TO MAKE THOSE REQUESTS. THERE'S ALREADY THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR A FIRE CHIEF, AND I AM GOING TO STAY WITH THOSE QUALIFICATIONS THAT ARE IN PLACE NOW. DAVE: LECLAIR HOPES THE MAYOR AND CHIEF KANGER DIDN'T WAIT TOO LONG TO MAKE HIS RETIREMENT OFFICAL, WASTING VALUABLE RECRUITING TIME. STEVE: I'D HATE TO THINK THAT WE SQUANDERED TIME THAT COULD'VE BEEN SPENT TRYING TO FIND THAT